The Recce Pro:

The new monocular essentially bridges between Vortex’s Viper level mountain scopes and their original Diamondback level monoculars. So this unit is the size and weight of the originals, with the glass and reticle out of the mountain scopes.

And it’s worth noting that the reticle in there is one of the best ranging reticles I’ve ever used. It’s got solid substentions (which have actually been expanded for the Recce Pro) but also features a number of quick ranging silhouettes that can be framed over a person or deer’s torso.

The model I saw at Shot Show was an 8×32, but apparently a 10x magnification is also in the works. You’ll also notice the rubber covers for the objective and ocular lenses, that seal around the optic, but remain tethered when detached.

If you’ve been following my stuff for a while, you might remember this little beauty from 3 years ago when I liked to put on multicam and go for long walks in the rain.

While in retrospect I might shake my head at that unbridled enthusiasm, I did like the Recon quite a bit. Now, with a smaller, lighter version that maintains the sharp glass and useful reticle, I’m feeling very tempted.

Stay tuned! Each companion piece will take us into deeper detail on it’s system and topic. And if you have any specific questions about NV gear and the dark, let me know!

Essentially, I’m looking to clarify NVGs and compare what you get for your money with different technologies. So I will be examining both image intensified and thermal night vision units, looking at a budget and mil-spec example of each. Expect lots of photos, videos, and a few words from me.

I’ll also talk about some beginner mistakes made with different forms of night vision, and examine scenario specific equipment. Getting the right gear for working in the dark is all about the kind of work you’re doing.

I’ve seen a few low light courses and instructors run very successful programs, but completely ignore the opti-electronic devices that are increasingly available. There’s nothing wrong with white light, but there’s a whole other world happening once you enter the IR spectrum. Stay tuned…

I’ve used a lot of different powered optics, and spent some serious time with different low-power tactical-focused scopes. When Vortex announced the Razor HD Gen II 1-6x rifle-scope using Jerry Miculek’s JM-1 reticle, I was very interested. Having loved the Viper PST 1-4 scope on my Tavor, I was excited by the chance to upgrade my glass and power.

I spend some hands on time with the VOTRS kit, and try a few variations outside what ships in the box. Designed for long term viewing, the VOTRS kit combines both mid and high power optics in one system. It’s worth noting that I did not order a kit directly out of the catalog. I built mine over the course of a year picking up one part at a time. As a result my combination is different from those sold directly from Vortex.

Razor 85mm spotting scope, Razor 10×42 binoculars, Recon 10×50 RT monocular, CBX tripod

I assembled this over 2 years, mostly of stuff bought from Wholesale Sports. The case itself I had to special order from vortex. They no longer sell VOTRS kits as a retail item, but they will still custom build them for anyone who asks.